If Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was wondering how much
time the White House would give him to come up with a new
exit strategy from Gaza, the answer came this week: As little
as it takes to wipe those awful photos off the front
pages.
The Bush administration's swift and tough reaction to Israeli
tank fire that killed at least seven Palestinian protesters,
in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday made it clear that
Bush sees Israel's presence in Gaza as an albatross around
the neck of U.S. and Israeli interests.
Israel's operations in Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border, aimed
at uncovering arms-smuggling tunnels and clearing out sniper
nests, "have worsened the humanitarian situation and resulted
in confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinians,
and have not, we believe, enhanced Israel's security," a
White House statement said.
The United States also allowed a sharp U.N. Security Council
resolution condemning Israel's operations in Gaza and
demanding "the complete cessation" of home demolitions in the
Rafah refugee camp.
Usually, the U.S. delegation vetoes such resolutions,
especially if they fail to mention the Palestinian terrorism
that elicits Israeli incursions, but this time it confined
itself to abstaining.
That in itself was significant: A Security Council "demand"
to end home demolitions could carry the force of
international law.
Israeli diplomats were not worried. Arye Mekel, Israel's
deputy permanent representative at the United Nations, called
it an "isolated case" reflecting the intensity of
international criticism of the killings.
The same Jewish and pro-Israel groups that exulted in Bush's
speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where
Bush likened Israel's war on terrorism to the United States'
own, were taken aback.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference
of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said
the U.N. resolution was especially galling coming just weeks
after terrorists in Gaza murdered a pregnant woman and her
four small children.
"A family was killed at point-blank range, and there was no
Security Council resolution," Hoenlein said. "Here, almost a
similar number was killed, and the whole world rises in
indignation."
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the presumptive Democratic nominee
for president, hewed close to the White House line. Israel
has a right to defend itself with a "proper measure of
restraint," Kerry told The Associated Press.
Bush is in an especially sensitive position in the Middle
East. His hopes of handing over Iraq to civilian rule next
month have been frustrated by increased insurgency, a prison
abuse scandal and the deaths of some 40 Iraqi civilians in a
U.S. jet fighter strike on what apparently was a wedding
party.
The bloodshed in Gaza has not helped efforts by U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell to bring Arab allies on board
for the Iraqi transition
Sharon has said he is working on a new withdrawal plan after
the first one was rejected by his Likud party, but has not
set a firm deadline to present it, frustrating U.S.
officials.
The news in Gaza "shows that there is a considerable amount
of conflict and friction that would be reduced by an Israeli
disengagement along the lines of the one we discussed," State
Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
Israelis said they understood the U.S. need to face down Arab
pressure.
"They thought that this was the right opportunity to send a
message of even-handedness," Mekel said.
Mekel even saw a bright side: Palestinian representatives at
the United Nations forsook their usual efforts to toughen the
resolution, reflecting the success of recent U.S. efforts
urging the Palestinians to assume control in the Gaza Strip
after Israel withdraws.
If anything, the debacle shows the need for a reliable
Palestinian Authority security force to be in place when
Israel withdraws. Israeli forces should be replaced by
"reformed Palestinian security forces that will, and must,
themselves act to stop smuggling and halt terrorism,"
Cunningham said.
